Mark Knudson’s Three Strikes Blog: Strike Three:
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What starts in Vegas doesn’t necessarily get to stay in Vegas
STRIKE THREE: The year 2020 promises to be one of major change around the country. And that includes the college football bowl line-ups.
A new “cycle” for the bowls starts in 2020, meaning that at the moment, negotiations are on-going. What conferences will end up tied in with what bowls?
The Mountain West conference had the increasingly rare situation arise last season where a bowl eligible team – in this case it was Wyoming – got left out of the post season. New deals would seem to offer a chance for the MW to secure another bowl slot so this sort of thing doesn’t happen again.
And indeed, it does appear like the Mountain West is securing a new bowl tie-in, this one opposite a Pac 12 opponent in a brand new Los Angeles Bowl game to be played in Stan Kroenke’s new football palace. Pretty cool.
Except that they’re also losing one – the long time connection with the Las Vegas Bowl appears to be ending, just as that game moves into another brand new NFL venue.
Getting to play in the new stadium in LA is a nice deal for the conference, but you have to wonder why they’re losing their connection in Vegas, given the fact that the conference has had such strong ties to the city. The MW has sent its champion to the Las Vegas Bowl for almost two decades now. They’ve been the rock for that bowl game, using local ties to bring in loyal fans from outside the region. Then there’s the conference basketball tournament…not to mention the fact that the city’s home team, UNLV is a conference member. What’s next, the Idaho Potato Bowl cuts ties with the MW?
Maybe this is fussing about nothing. Maybe the swap of LV or LA is a good thing. It just feels like the MW is being pushed aside by a game that it has effectively propped up for all these years. Now the Pac 12 will take over and host a Big 10 or SEC team in the Raiders new home. “Thanks for bringing all those fans, MW schools. Now hit the bricks. We’ve outgrown you.”
As part of the new cycle, in 2020 we will see as many as three additional bowls. Currently there are 40. The go ahead has been given to go to 43. Myrtle Beach, Florida is reportedly getting a bowl game. Do they even have a football stadium?
This is a good time to bring up the point once again that there COULD be a “Mile High Bowl” if anyone around here cared enough to try to make it happen. Don’t even mention the weather. There’s a game in Boise, Idaho, remember? We’ve got a great city, a beautiful stadium…but not much of a fan base, unfortunately. College football – even really good college football – doesn’t move the needle here. The only thing that matters to local football fans is anything or anyone wearing predominantly orange (even while the local professional product continues to be very poor) OR football that involves wagering…real or fantasy. Sad.
Think about it. If there were already a Mile High Bowl, Wyoming could have played in it last December and their small but rabid fan base could have taken over the city. That would have been fun.
Instead we will wait and see if the MW can get more than their current six bowl slots in the next deal, and where the newest bowls will be played. LA? Check. Myrtle Beach? Check. Chattanooga? Fargo? Tulsa anyone?
Wanna argue? Hit me up on Twitter @MarkKnudson41.
